Raise your hand if you're excited for the return of "The Big Bang Theory!" season 8 kicks off on September 22, and things have changed for our favorite Pasadena physicists. Let's catch up with where the cast is at the start of Season 8.

Jim Parsons has won four Emmys for his portrayal of physicist Sheldon Cooper, who is as clueless about social interaction as he is knowledgeable about science. At the start of season 8, Sheldon makes a grand return back home after trying to run away to clear his head with a train trip. Although he didn't deal well with change last season, by the second episode he's taking on a new job.

Simon Helberg plays Howard Wolowitz, an aerospace engineer who started out a bit awkward with women, but these days is happily married. At the start of season 8, he's having trouble adjusting to the new, prominent role his mother's caretaker, Stuart.

"Roseanne" alum Johnny Galecki stars as Leonard Hofstadter, Sheldon's long-suffering roommate and, as of the season 7 finale, the future husband of Penny (Kaley Cuoco). He is a physicist. As far as his new engagement to Penny, executive producer Steve Molaro has warned that fans shouldn't expect to see a wedding any time soon.

Cuoco, left, plays Penny, a waitress who can't quite match wits with her group of friends but nevertheless hangs out with them. In season 8, Cuoco's new haircut won't be the only change for Penny, who's embarking on a career as a pharmaceutical sales rep with help from Bernadette (Melissa Rauch, right).

Rauch's Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz is a highly paid scientist who is married to Howard. A frequent joke in the show is how she can be as overbearing as his mother.

Three-time Emmy nominee Mayim Bialik plays Amy Farrah Fowler, a scientist who is involved with Sheldon. She also believes she is best friends with Penny. Although Amy and Sheldon have definitely progressed in their relationship (they even kiss now!), they're still taking it very, very slowly as season 8 begins.

Kunal Nayyar plays Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappali, a shy astrophysicist who up until recently could only talk to women after he drank alcohol. He is desperate to find true love and recently, finally found a girlfriend. At the start of season 8, his relationship with Emily is still solid.

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Photos: 'Big Bang Theory' cast

'Big Bang Theory' cast

'Big Bang Theory' cast

'Big Bang Theory' cast

Photos: 'Big Bang Theory' cast

'Big Bang Theory' cast

Big Bang Theory cast

'Big Bang Theory' cast

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Parsons has been nominated for his show and "The Normal Heart"

He said he thought contract dispute would be worked out

Parsons feels good about his Emmy nominations

(EW.com) -- At the end of last season on "The Big Bang Theory," Sheldon finally had to cope with not getting what he wanted in his career.

That's not a problem Jim Parsons is dealing with these days. In addition to his two Emmy nominations—one for playing Sheldon Cooper, the other for Tommy Boatwright in the gut-wrenching HBO movie "The Normal Heart"—Parsons' salary for "Big Bang" skyrocketed from $350,000 per episode to $1 million after a contract dispute that pushed back production on the eighth season. After a week-long delay, production began on Aug. 6.

Jim Parsons stars as Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory."

Parsons sees the whole brouhaha as a simple issue. "I always thought everything would be worked out by the start date [July 30]," he tells EW. "When it wasn't, it certainly wasn't a good feeling, but there was absolutely no getting around the fact that everything had to be dealt with and finished before we could get back." He says reports of the dispute were overblown. "You see the word 'strike'—'They're walking out!'—but there was nothing to walk out from," he says with a laugh. "That's always hard, because part of you wants to explain to people what's really going on. 'Don't worry, we're not leaving, we want to do the show.'"

"I came from a family in Texas who simply never spoke about money," he says. "When suddenly everybody is guessing, or some even getting close, to the ballpark of what you're earning—well, that's interesting, that everyone knows what you make. It is what it is, and the job is so wonderful that those minor oddities are well worth the ride."

Looking forward to the Emmys, Parsons has different feelings about his very different nominations. "To be nominated again for Big Bang, is at least as touching to me, if not more so now, than it was the first time," he says. "Look, I'm only human and therefore there's a part of me that's waiting for people to say, 'Enough of you!'"

As for his nomination for "Normal Heart," "I would be lying if I said it didn't feel really good to know that people had seen and thought it was also good work, because again, it is such a different ball of wax from the life of Sheldon."